Could we just try it experimentally to make sure it's a good fit for us?

Resources for Acupuncture in Chemical Dependency Treatment and Recovery

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

What kinds of agencies or services should think about adding an acupuncture component?

Does acupuncture really work?

Are there any drugs that it doesn't work for?

Does it help with other addictions?

How much does it cost?

How do programs pay for it?

Is acupuncture safe? What are the liability issues? Is there increased risk of spreading infectious disease?

Does the treatment hurt?

How much time does the treatment take?

Do clients need to make an appointment for acupuncture?

What do clients do while they're getting needled?

Could we just try acupuncture on an experimental basis to make sure it's a good fit for us?

Absolutely!

For purposes of effectively evaluating the acupuncture, the minimum trial period should be at least 90 days; the cost of that would be relatively minimal - probably less than $3000. But if part of your program revenue is utilization-based, that expenditure should be recouped quickly through an increase in client attendance and participation rates in your other program activities, assuming you design the service properly.

A good way to conduct the experiment would be to provide the acupuncture for five days per week one hour in advance of your regularly scheduled and busiest group counseling time. To evaluate the service, it is recommended that the following data be collected for comparison both before and after adding the acupuncture component:

Intake rates.
Client retention and drop-out rates.
Group attendance rates.
No-show rates for individual counseling appointments.
Revenue (for programs reimbursed on the basis of utilization).
Subjective counselor assessment of changed behavior and attitude of clients during group and individual sessions.